"I remember coming to some football games as a kid and just the atmosphere, it was something I wanted to be part of," Bradley said. "We were living in Florida, but when my dad's job played out, they (parents) asked me what I thought about moving back to Booneville.

"My dad is from here."

Born in Russellville, the Bradleys moved to Paris, Texas, when Logan was 5. He became a huge Dallas Mavericks fan. Between basketball and his dad's Ozzie Osborne records, Bradley had this idealistic life.

But, like the song, Snow's No. 1 smash from 1962, the family picked up and moved to California. Then it was off to Florida.

"We were in Paris until I was about 11 or so, then we moved to California for a while," he said. "Then we moved to Florida."

Finally, the Bradleys returned to Logan County just as 6-foot-9, 235-pound Logan was beginning to spread his wings — both mentally and physically.

Bradley proudly displays his No. 34 Bearcats jersey, embracing those around him in the process.

"It gives me the extra effort. Wearing the uniform, the little kids are going to see you, so you're a role model and you have to represent what it takes to win games," he said. "Even off the court, you need to be a good student and make sure you have good grades."

In his ninth-grade season, Bradley helped the junior high win 20 games. Twenty wins in basketball, at any level, would be considered a huge deal at Booneville High School.

But the best was yet to come.

Today, the 24-2 Bearcats face Perryville/Paris at the 3A-4 conference tournament in Two Rivers.

The team's senior class includes a mixture of talented, smart and hard-working players who've formed this cohesive bond.

Bradley and fellow seniors Blakley Cobb, Grant Goers, Camryn Lawson, Nate Riley, Noah Reyes, Tyler Hall and Mason Weaver have given the football-crazy town something to do in the winter.

"I think we've definitely surprised people," he said. "We've had a lot of doubters. Thinking we're not meant to be and we're not going to go far, I think we've silenced them this year, and we're a tough team.

"If you shut one of us down, you've got someone else that can score."

Booneville won 16 games in 2016-17. Last year's squad went 20-14.

To win 60 games in three seasons — at Booneville of all places? — isn't something that caught Bradley off guard.

"We saw it (program) gradually grow," Bradley said. "Our junior year, we were basically the leaders of the team. Our soph year, it was a rebuilding year. But the seniors, they really pushed us to make us better players."

Turnaround

Four year after Denton's 2014-15 squad finished 1-26, enduring a 22-game losing streak in its wake, the Bearcats are the basketball toast of the 3A-4.

A good roster helps, as do move-ins, but Bradley contends coach Ronnie Denton deserves a ton of credit.

"His goal is not to just make you a good basketball player, but to make you a great man," Bradley said. "He keeps telling us you have to put in your effort and get your shots in after practice. He's really, for me, pushed me and been there to help me with what I'm doing wrong, and it's that way outside of basketball, too."

Growth spurt

The team's renaissance of sorts isn't the only thing that's been growing. Bradley said he's sprouted about two inches every year since he was about 10.

"I was 5-6 in the fifth grade," he said. "My parents have always told me it (growth) skips two generations. I had some great-uncles that were 6-5 and 6-8. My dad is 6-3."

His growth has been gradual.

"I can't really say for me it was sudden; I just grew two inches every year," Bradley said. "I never had like a sudden growth spurt."

Only child

Bradley, who signed with Southern Arkansas University last fall, where he hopes to fine-tune his shot-blocking skills, remembers emulating Dirk Nowitzki during the dog days of winter in Paris.

His dad was his mentor.

"For me, I didn't have a brother or sister," Bradley said. "It gave me an opportunity to work on my shot; it gave me more time to work on my game; and it gave me more time to be with my dad. He could tell when I was a kid I was going to have to play post. He was already teaching me how to post up."

Sidelined

Bradley, who begins postseason play averaging 13.4 points per game and 6.5 rebounds, along with 67 blocked shots this season, might have already eclipsed the 900-point mark had it not been for a three-week bout of illness.

Bradley missed seven games with mononucleosis.

"It was definitely tough being my senior season, and having to watch everyone play and not being able to help out," Bradley said. "I was still there supporting and pushing them on. Luckily I was able to come back pretty quickly."

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